The Chosen: The First of Chaim Potok's Classics
Written: Aug 10 '02 (Updated Feb 11 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Well written. A moving story. An easy read.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: A modern classic.
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| naphtalia's Full Review: |
The Chosen by Chaim Potok is a wonderful book. It tells the story of two friends growing up in two very different homes. It also gives tremendous insight into the struggles of Orthodox Judaism from the beginning of the Second World War until the time shortly after the establishment of the state of Israel. It also gives insight into American life beyond the Jewish world.
History books don't always give the flavor of the time about which they are written. Sometimes it takes a diary or even a work of fiction to capture the spirit of the time. This book does that marvelously.
The Plot
The Chosen is the coming of age story of two young men in their respective Orthodox Jewish communities. The first young man is Rueven Malter (Rueven is the name Rueben in both Hebrew and Yiddush.) He is the son of a seminary professor. His father applies the techniques of modern textual critique to the study of Talmud and has taught his son to do the same. While he believes that the Talmud is a holy work, revealed by the Master of the Universe, he believes that over time there have been clerical errors that can be discovered. In discovering these errors, we can find the real meaning of the words. Both Rueven and his father believe in the establishment of a Jewish state.
The other boy is Danny Saunders, the son of Rabbi Saunders. Rabbi Saunders is also Orthodox, but not modern Orthodox. Instead, he is Hassidic. Danny and his fathers wear the long curls of hair at their foreheads. They always wear a hat a undergarment with fringes in its corners. The Hassids (members of the Hassidic movement) don't believe in modern interpretations. They believe the old ways of study are the best. Danny's father is more than just a rabbi. He is a Tzaddik. In the Hassidic tradition, a Tzaddik is a holy man. It is expected that Danny will follow in his father's footsteps and become both rabbi and tzaddik to his community. Rabbi Saunders believes that there should be no Jewish state until the messiah comes.
As with many religions, Judaism has different groups that don't get along. The modern Orthodox and the Hassidic have generally kept to themselves and not interacted. In this story, however, Danny and Reuven are drawn together at the beginning of World War II by an incident involving their two schools in competition. The two eventually become friends - which has implications in both their respective communities.
The book follows the two boys as they become men and end up at the same religious university. Reuven wants to become a rabbi (although his father would rather he became a professor.) Danny has an impossible desire to become a psychologist.
The Recommendation
I highly recommend The Chosen to all - Jew and non-Jew alike. For the Jew - especially the young Jew- this book provides an opportunity to see how beliefs developed and changed over time. It gives insight into how particular groups of Jews came to believe and worship in the way they did. Who knows? This book may even inspire you to want to take a Talmud class! It's that good.
To the non-Jew, The Chosen is a powerful story of friendship and of growing into adulthood. The characters are real and the relationship is believable. There is a great deal of language that is specifically Jewish, but Potok takes time to explain the terminology. Even a Catholic friend who read the book just before (in fact, she said I should read it.) me said that she had no problem with the language.
Although the book deals with adult themes, it could be easily read and enjoyed by teens, too. There is no foul language here. There is no sex. There is no violence. There is nothing objectionable here. Parents can feel safe allowing their children to read this.
If you find this book at the library or at a bookstore, get it. You'll be glad you did.
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If you're interested in more Jewish fiction, you might want to check out Samson’s Lion: A Novel for the Millennium .
If you're interested in stories of Jewish life in America, you might want to check out Lost In Translation: A Life in a New Language
Recommended:
Yes
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naphtalia
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